How to Start a Plum Tree From a Pit

Plum trees can be grown from pits.

Growing a plum tree from a pit is one of many ways to propagate a fruit tree, but it is perhaps the least reliable. You will not be guaranteed a tree that produces the same quality or flavor of fruit as you would through grafting a branch to rootstock from a nursery. If you just want to grow a tree, growing a plum tree from a pit is an educational way to do it, particularly if you have young children in the house.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp knife
• Plum pits
• Plastic sandwich bag
• Refrigerator
• Perlite
• Garden sand
• Medium-size flowerpots

Instructions

1. 

   Dig the plum pit from the fruit.

   Buy a few of your favorite plums at the grocery store. Black plums are a tasty variety and have a small pit. Cut the plums in half with a sharp knife. Pry the pits out of the center of the fruit and set aside to dry while you eat.

2. Put the pits in the sandwich bag and close it. Place the bag in the crisper of your refrigerator and leave it there for three to four months, to duplicate the natural stratification process that would occur if the pit were planted outdoors and left for the winter.

3. Remove the pits from the refrigerator crisper after the stratification period.

4. Prepare the potting medium by mixing perlite with garden sand at a ratio of one part perlite to one part sand. This mixture will give the plum seeds an excellent chance of germination. Fill the flowerpots with this mixture.

5. Plant the plum pits in the pots at a depth of about 2 inches and then water thoroughly. Set the pots in a sunny spot. A window sill with a southern exposure that gets about six hours of direct light each day is a good choice of location.

6. Wait several weeks. Water the pot enough to keep it moist, but not soggy. Too much water will cause the pit to rot. If the seed inside the pit is viable, it will sprout.

7. Continue watering the plum tree sprout in its pot until it is 3 or 4 inches tall. Transplant outdoors in a well-drained, sunny spot.

Tips & Warnings

• Cared for properly, a plum tree will produce fruit in five to seven years.

• The genetics of a plum seed are often different from those of the mother tree, so don't count on getting the exact same type of plum fruit when growing plum trees with this method.

References

• Iowa State University: Germination of Tree Seed
• Garden Guides: How to Grow a Black Plum Tree from a Pit
• International Society for Horticultural Science: Germination of Plum Seeds

Resources

• University of Minnesota Extension: Stone Fruits for Minnesota Gardens
• University of Florida: Growing Plums in Florida